


Heart, Meet Soul

by YourShadow



Category: Fate/Zero
Genre: Multi, Slight Pairings, Soulmates, Two-Shot, gilgamesh sobbing openly on a battlefield, saber doesn't know what to do with a crying babylonian king tbh, slight retelling of the ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 18:32:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9455120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourShadow/pseuds/YourShadow
Summary: In the midst of a battle, Gilgamesh is reunited with an old, dear friend who came to bestow his blessing.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PetraJade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetraJade/gifts).



> I have a lot of feels for Enkidu/Gilgamesh so I decided to write them out. Gilga will probably seem OOC but just trust me, okay?

The sky opened up above the Heroic Spirits as they clashed. The King of Heroes paused, with Ea raised high in the air and about to land a finishing blow to his opponents. Something familiar tugged at him, an ache he knew all too well.

Gilgamesh looked up into the heavens at the bright light shining down on them--on  _ him _ . As his eyes adjusted to the blinding light, he saw a figure he would know anywhere.

Long, flowing green hair. Outstretched arms. White robes.

The King of Heroes lowered his sword, golden armor glowing ever brighter under the light. He stared as the figure came closer, descending from the clouds. The battle around him stopped, all eyes on the person who had just arrived.

With an open mouth and wide eyes, Gilgamesh felt tears forming as the figure landed lightly on bare feet.

Ea dropped to the ground, clanking loudly across the battlefield, as the King of Heroes took a few steps forward. “Enkidu?” he whispered, choking back a sob.

His friend smiled at him, arms open wide.

Gilgamesh ran into them and grabbed the one being who knew and understood him the most, pulling Enkidu into a hug.

He ignored the stares of his opponents and their Masters as he wailed in the other’s arms. No one else mattered to him in that moment. Enkidu had returned to him, was holding him close. The golden armor disappeared, and Gilgamesh could feel Enkidu’s warm, gentle hand on his back.

“I’ve missed you too, my king.”

Gilgamesh sobbed harder, casting aside his pride and pretense as he keened, clinging to his one and only friend.

He did not notice, nor care about, the murmurs all around him. Only Enkidu.

*** 

Arturia was astounded to see the King of Heroes look so vulnerable and emotional. When a person emerged from the white light in the sky, she was unsure who he was or what he was doing here on the battlefield. She did not sense the presence of a Heroic Spirit, but that was the only thing this person could be.

Hearing the Golden King sob so openly and seeing his tears flow unabashedly down his face only confused her more. It was a sight she never thought she would witness, nor did she believe was actually happening. Lowering her weapon, Saber glanced around at the others to see their reactions to this odd encounter.

Rider was blinking, eyes large and showing the same confusion she felt. Beside him, his Master was gaping in shock at the display.

Lancer looked genuinely surprised, his weapons lowered but still at his side. She could not tell where his Master was hiding to determine how he felt about this moment.

Berserker was, well, Berserker. Howling and writhing, he did not care about what was going on between Archer and the mysterious stranger. But at least he was not attempting to attack them.

The sound of Archer’s broken cries and hitched breathing made Saber feel as if she was interrupting a reunion, something meaningful and private. She turned away instinctively.

Another part of her noted that Gilgamesh was no longer protected by his armor, was no longer even paying attention to the battle, and that this would be the perfect opportunity to strike. It was probably a latent thought from her Master, who used cheap tactics and tricks to win battles instead of honor and dignity. But she was not Kiritsigu. She was a knight.

“All of you, look away! Give them a moment of peace!” she declared, clenching her sword.

There was a moment’s hesitation, in which she could see the others contemplating their best option. Archer was, without a doubt, the most dangerous Servant among them. It was well known to the Heroic Spirits that the Gate of Babylon was a powerful Noble Phantasm, and held other hidden treasures that could crush them to dust.

But their pride would not allow them to attack such a formidable opponent when he was at his weakest.

Rider and his Master turned away, distancing themselves from the King of Heroes and the newcomer.

Lancer looked as though he wanted to do the same, but must have been fighting an order from his Master with the way he clenched his weapons.

Berserker simply roared and charged at her. Saber slashed at him with her sword.

“Masters of Lancer and Berserker, if you have any honor, leave the battlefield, now!” she shouted. “Or I will rend your bodies with my blade!”

Lancer gave her a grateful look before vanishing. Berserker yelled incoherently but eventually disappeared as well.

It was her turn, but a voice made her pause.

“Wait, Arturia, I must speak with you.”

*** 

Gilgamesh could not believe that his friend was back in his arms. All he could do was hold on tightly as the floodgates of his emotions poured outward.

“There, there, my friend. Hush now,” Enkidu murmured to him, running his fingers through the king’s hair.

“Where…” Gilgamesh gasped out, unable to complete his sentence.  _ ‘Where have you been? Why did you leave me? What are you doing here, now, of all times?’ _

Enkidu heard the unasked questions. “Do not worry about me, my king. I heard your heart calling to me and came as quickly as I could.”

Gilgamesh buried his face in Enkidu’s neck, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

“Why do you cling so tightly, when I have never left your side?”

“But you did!” The King of Heroes cried out. “You died, and left me alone again.”

“I have always been with you, Gilgamesh. And there is another who could ease your loneliness in my place.”

“No one could ever replace you, what are you talking about?” Gilgamesh replied angrily. Enkidu was his one and only friend. How could he not understand?

Enkidu shook his head slowly, still smiling. “Your thoughts of her brought me here. I have come to give my blessing.”

“Blessing? What are you…”

Gilgamesh followed Enkidu’s stare to see Saber facing off against Berserker.

“Masters of Lancer and Berserker, if you have any honor, leave the battlefield, now!” she shouted. “Or I will rend your bodies with my blade!”

“See, she defends your honor even now, as I would. And she has the strength to keep you from destroying yourself.”

Gilgamesh watched as Saber began to walk away.

“Wait, Arturia, I must speak with you,” Enkidu called after her.

The King of Heroes turned back to his friend, confused.

“I apologize, I do not mean to interfere,” Saber said as she approached.

“No need to apologize. I’ve heard much about you, from legends and my dear friend here. I wanted to meet you for myself.

Saber looked from Enkidu to Gilgamesh, who blinked back but had no words to say to her.

“This stubborn, arrogant king is lonely. He needs a friend,” Enkidu stated he said with a smile.

“What is the meaning of this?” Gilgamesh rounded on him, face heated from embarrassment. 

His friend merely laughed. “Don’t deny it, my king. You’ve missed me. Yet you refuse to open your heart to anyone else, even when someone worthy comes into your life.”

“I do not understand…”

“You said it yourself,” Enkidu turned to Saber. “She is worthy of your attention...and friendship.”

“I...I’m afraid I do not understand, either,” Saber said, still glancing from one to the other.

“How shameful of me, I’ve yet to properly introduce myself. My name is Enkidu. I lived in the time of Gilgamesh and fought by his side.”

“So...you are his retainer?” Saber asked.

“More than that. I was his friend. You may not believe me when I say this, but he was far kinder when I was around.”

Gilgamesh had no rebuttal for this.

*** 

Saber was surprised that the King of Heroes allowed this man to speak of him in this way, without a retort or insult in return. Instead, Archer stood silent, head down. She could still see tears in his eyes.

“I see...it is a pleasure to meet such a person as yourself. I am Arturia Pendragon, King of Briton,” she extended her hand and Enkidu shook it.

“Arturia, I cannot stay for long. I must ask you to look after my friend when I am gone. Please do not allow his darker nature to dispel you. When given a worthy companion, he can be quite kind-hearted.”

“What are you saying, Enkidu? You are here now, with me. I will not allow you to leave my side again.” Despite the harshness of Archer’s words, Saber knew they were a hollow threat, a show put on for her benefit.

Enkidu turned back to Gilgamesh and ruffled the man’s hair, with no consequences. “I already said I cannot stay for long.”

Archer began to cry again, once more latching onto his friend. “You can’t leave me again, Enkidu!”

The green-haired man had a look of amusement on his face as he held the king once more.

“But I must go now, Gilgamesh. Fear not my friend, we will see each other again one day.” Enkidu detached himself from the sobbing king, directing him to Saber instead.

She was unsure of what to do with the Babylonian King as Enkidu began to drift away from them.

“No, come back!” Gilgamesh reached out, but Enkidu was already gone.

He sucked in a sharp breath, eyes wide, as he stared at the sky.

Hesitant, yet deliberately, Saber began to softly pat the other king’s back. “There, there.”

He looked at her, unsure at first, but then accepting. “Thank you, Saber.”

“You’re welcome, Archer.”

As soon as he stunned her by sobbing in the arms of another man, so did he stun her again by stepping away and returning to full armor. His eyes moved to where Rider and Waver stood off to the side, and where the other Heroic Spirits must have been waiting and watching.

“None of you saw anything,” he declared. “You will wipe this scene from your memory and never think or speak of it again... _ mongrels _ .”

With a haughty ‘hmph’ and swift turnabout, Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, returned to his former self.

Saber couldn’t help but smile as she watched him walk away.

***

“What exactly was that all about, Archer?” his Master asked.

Gilgamesh stood before Tokiomi, feeling Kirei’s eyes burning into him. “An old friend. Nothing more.”

The mage knew from the look in his Servant’s eyes not to challenge him on this.

Kirei only smirked, and Gilgamesh had a feeling that this encounter would be used against him one way or another by the cunning priest. Although whether through teasing or more vile means, he was unsure.


	2. Part 2

When next they met in battle, Arturia was unsure how Archer would react. The appearance of Enkidu and the scene that followed still confused her, yet it was also endearing to know that Gilgamesh had a soft spot for  _ someone _ . He had mentioned having a friend before, the only person worthy of any respect or affection from him, when they held their mock Kings’ Banquet with Rider. To see such a strong reaction to this person, Saber knew Enkidu must have been very precious to the other king, indeed.

“Arturia,” Gilgamesh greeted her upon the battlefield, showing his usual arrogance. There was something a bit different though...as if he were holding something back.

“Gilgamesh,” she replied.

He uncrossed his arms and took a few steps closer to her. Uncertain, she stayed on guard but didn’t back down. He held out his hand, waiting patiently until she finally gave him hers. He bent down, laying a chaste kiss on the back of her hand. Startled, Saber was unsure how to take this gesture from someone like him.

As he stood straight, he gave her a soft smile. “I apologize for not doing this sooner. I seemed to have forgotten my manners in the long absence of my friend.”

_ He’s like a completely different person now, _ she thought. Enkidu’s arrival changed the man before her, but she could tell he was still the same person, inherently. The anger and egotistical nature she was used to must only be a wall to keep others out, to keep them at bay--to prevent another great loss for him to suffer. Heartache. Even Gilgamesh had experienced heartache.

It wasn’t the same as Arturia’s heartache for her country, but she understood it well enough. In response to his kind greeting, she gave a regal bow, fitting for an exchange between two kings. His eyes seemed to brighten, and he looked pleased.

She could sense irritation from her Master, and by the twinge in Gilgamesh’s smile, she was sure his own Master was just as annoyed at their pleasantries. 

“I am afraid we cannot continue in this way for long, my dear Arturia. The Holy Grail demands a battle,” Gilgamesh spoke up.

The look in his eyes was truly pained. His Master must have used a command seal to compel him to fight her.

“Indeed it does, Gilgamesh. But you have shown great honor, and I will not easily forget it in this life or the next,” Arturia told him.

He laughed, but not the haughty, grating sound he used to give. This one was short but sincere. “Before this war is over, I must have you for my wife, Arturia.”

Unlike his previous proposals, she could tell this one was not only genuine, but also teasing. He knew she would not so easily accept, judging by the wan smile on his face.

“Why would I become your Queen, when I can remain a King?” she replied with a teasing smile of her own.

He laughed louder this time, and the tone of his voice matched the way he spoke at the beginning of the war. “You truly are worthy of becoming my wife, Saber. I will not take no for an answer.” The Gate of Babylon opened up behind him, and various projectiles appeared out of it, surrounded by a blinding golden light.

For a moment, she was reminded of Enkidu’s arrival in that same golden light. As if he had come out of the Gate just like Archer’s weapons...as if he was a treasure of the Babylonian King’s.

And in the next moment, she moved Excalibur up to block the spears and swords he was flinging at her. She could not get close to him with his barrage of weaponry. It was just like the wall he put up around himself--and suddenly, she wanted to get past that again, to see his kind smile and hear his honorable words. That was a different Gilgamesh, and she wanted to know him better.

Their Masters, however, had other plans. The two mages battled each other in a different area as the Holy Grail began to form.

“Would you like to know what I’ll wish for, when the cup is returned to me?” Gilgamesh asked after a time.

“If you say for me to be your wife, I only hope you’re joking,” she replied.

He laughed again, a harsh sound. “As much as I would like that, I know only too well that the Grail cannot intrude upon matters of the heart,” he told her.

“Then what shall you ask of it, oh king who has everything?”

His expression turned somber, and their attacks ceased. “I would ask to go back in time--in  _ my _ time--so I could undo the mistake I made that got Enkidu killed. I sought immortality for so long...but now I realize it was not long life that I wanted, but for my friend to return to me so I could share that life with him.”

Saber felt his sorrow and regret in his words. “You must have loved him deeply, to make a wish such as that.”

He looked a bit surprised, perhaps taken aback at how much of the truth she knew without realizing it. “Love? I suppose you could call it that. He was more like...a mate to my soul. Created to be by my side forever--or so I thought. I didn’t realize how much he truly meant to me until he was gone,” he said, looking away. In a softer tone, he added, “Perhaps I shall feel the same about you…”

Saber could not say anything to soothe him. She could easily lie and say she wished they did not have to fight each other, but she had a wish of her own--to restore Britain to its glory, to undo her own mistakes of the past. As much as she admired the king before her and ardently hoped he achieved his wish, she was still clinging to her own heartfelt desires.

“Shall we continue, King of Heroes?” she said instead. As much as she wanted to keep the Gilgamesh that Enkidu brought out, she needed to face the arrogant king she met at the start of the war if she hoped to defeat him. The more vulnerable he became around her, the harder it was for her to strike the killing blow.

He looked at her, understanding in his eyes, and then nodded. “Very well, let’s put an end to this once and for all, shall we?”

Gilgamesh withdrew Ea from the Gate of Babylon. “This is the highest honor I give. I hope you understand what it means, Arturia Pendragon, King of Britain.”

She did. It was a love confession, a marriage proposal, and a request to be his friend wrapped up in gold, black, and shining red.

Saber undid the spell of invisibility around her own blade, revealing her Noble Phantasm, Excalibur. “I also give you the honor of looking upon my blade, as so few have done before you, Gilgamesh, King of Babylon.”

Her acceptance, albeit hesitant and uncertain, shone out of Excalibur as brilliantly as her desire to see Britain thrive again.

As they were preparing their final attacks, the one to end the battle and thus the war, she received a horrible order.

“Saber, destroy the Holy Grail! I command you, as your Master!” Kiritsigu Emiya yelled out at her, bloodied and delirious from his fight with Kirei Kotomine.

She gasped, the grip on her blade faltering. Destroy the Grail? The item they all had fought so hard for--had died for? Lancer’s ordered suicide, Rider’s defeat, Assassin’s sacrifice...had they all been for nothing?

She couldn’t think about destroying the one thing that could give her what she wanted most. The power to fulfil her wish, to restore Britain to its former glory, was within her grasp. Why would her Master order her to not only forfeit her wish, but his as well?

“What are you saying, Emiya?” she asked, even as she fought against the command seal that urged her to point her blade at the still-forming holy artifact. 

“Don’t do it, Saber!” Archer called. “Don’t you  _ dare _ !”

After knowing his own wish, to return to a time where he was happy with the person he loved, Arturia could not allow herself to fulfill this order.

But Emiya used the rest of his command seals to ensure his order was adhered to, and she had no choice.

Excalibur slowly pointed toward the Grail, shaking in her grip. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“No! What are you doing, Arturia?” Gilgamesh cried out.

“End it, now! Destroy the Grail!” Emiya shouted at her.

“I’m sorry!” she screamed as her Noble Phantasm released itself, plunging into the Grail with brutal force. Tears streamed down her face as she watched her own attack, unable to stop herself, unable to undo all of the wrongs she had committed in life.

Once again she was on the bloody battlefield, crying like a lost little child.

*** 

Gilgamesh saw the torment in her eyes as she fought against the command seals, against her Master’s orders to destroy the Holy Grail.

No. That was  _ his _ treasure. No one else could have it, let alone  _ destroy _ it!

“Don’t do it, Saber!” he called out to her. “Don’t you  _ dare _ !”

How could she even think about obeying such an order, after everything they had gone through--after what he had told her? He held on firmly to the belief that she could fight it, that she was stronger than the command seals, stronger than her Master.

But he saw her sword waver, saw it turn in the direction of the Grail. He could barely sense the mana of his own Master, and assumed Kirei was either dead or in the process of dying. He didn’t much care which, since the priest was no use to him in this moment.

But could he stop her, in order to save the Grail?

_ Don’t make me do this, Arturia _ , he begged silently. Raising Ea, he prepared to strike.

_ “There is another who could ease your loneliness in my place.”  _ Enkidu’s words reverberated in the back of his mind.  _ “She is worthy of your attention...and friendship.” _

How could he kill the one whom Enkidu gave his blessing to? The one who could fill the emptiness inside of him as his friend once did?

Ea lowered, and instead Gilgamesh reached out a hand to Saber, who was fighting with herself, against the orders of her Master and her own will. And she was losing.

“No! What are you doing, Arturia?” Gilgamesh cried out as he saw her finally turn completely to face the Grail, Excalibur prepared to strike.

Her Master urged her further, having used all of his remaining command seals to make such a heinous order. She couldn’t stop herself now, she couldn’t win against the bonds that tied Servants to Masters.

“I’m sorry!” he heard her scream as her Noble Phantasm was unleashed against the Holy Grail. He knew she was apologizing to him, to herself, to her long-lost kingdom, and maybe even to Enkidu for betraying his trust.

And in a flash of brilliant gold, it was all over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this small little Feels Trip. Feel free to sob over Enkidu/Gilgamesh with me ;A;


End file.
